RAIL fares will be HALVED this spring as the Government tries to tackle the cost of living crisis.
The cheaper travel will be available through the end of April and throughout May.
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The “Great British Rail Sale”, as it’s been named, is set to discount more than a million fares between April 25 and May 27 this year.
Meanwhile, the Department for Transport is hoping the move will help hard-up households, facing rising bills and soaring inflation, to afford trips across the UK.
The tickets go on sale today, but the reduced rates don’t begin to apply for travel until next Monday.
It only applies to passengers who purchase off-peak fares too.
But with prices slashed by up to 50%, the sale could bring some Manchester to Newcastle journeys down to a little over £10.
And seats on some London to Edinburgh services will be slashed from £44 to £22.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “For the first time ever, operators across the rail industry are coming together to help passengers facing rising costs of living by offering up to 50% off more than a million tickets on journeys across Britain.
“There’s no better time to visit friends, family or just explore our great country, so book your tickets today.”
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The discounted tickets will be first come, first served so you have to be quick to cash-in on the deals.
How can I get the sale tickets and how much will I save?
You can buy the cheaper tickets from around 10am online today at the site dedicated to the “Great British Rail Sale“.
Examples of how much you can save include journeys like a single from York to Leeds slashed to £2.80 from £5.60.
Meanwhile London to Cardiff tickets will be cut from £47 to £25.
And travellers going from Portsmouth Harbour to Penzance could see their fares go down to £22 from £45.70.
It thought that as much as 80% of the tickets that do go on sale will be slashed by the maximum 50% off.
Most train operators will be taking part in the sale.
So that includes Southeastern, London North Eastern Railway, Avanti West Coast, Greater Anglia, South Western Railway, Great Western Railway, Northern, C2C, Chiltern, and London Northwestern Railway.
Plus, Cross Country, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Railway, Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern, TransPennine Express, Hull Trains, and Grand Central are all part of the scheme.
But it doesn’t cover Welsh and Scottish operators.
How else can I save on rail journeys?
If you’re not eligible for the new discounted tickets, or you’re simply looking for other ways to cut costs while riding the train, there’s other ways to save on your fare.
Sometimes it pays to be early – you can get cheaper rail fares by booking up to 12 weeks in advance.
But remember to check the small print, as these tickets may be restricted to a particular train.
And a railcard goes a long way too – this can be used on top of the sale prices if you want to further reduce the price of your journey.
A one-year Family & Friends card, or a 16-25 card, and more, cost around £30, but they each save you a third- off travel.
Often you can save by “splitting” your ticket too.
This means breaking one long journey into a series of shorter ones along the route.
Or ditch the train altogether and go for the slower but cheaper option of a coach – A trip from London to Manchester by Megabus starts from £5.99 for example.
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